Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl warns against unnecessary toughness against the Brits Daniel Biskup

The former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl has warned against putting pressure on Great Britain and the British government following the Brexit referendum.

Talking to BILD, he pleaded for prudence and warned against unnecessary toughness and haste.

The task would now be to find a sensible way to deal with the referendum. It would be an enormous mistake for the EU to close its doors now. Of greatest importance: it is up to Great Britain to decide for itself what it wants.

Great Britain's special status has always been difficult and a challenge, according to Kohl. However, this has to do with Great Britain's history — which is also part of Europe's diversity.

In Helmut Kohl's view the concern expressed by the British in the BREXIT referendum is not purely a British phenomenon. Rather, it reflects a general unease of the people of Europe. As Kohl has said previously, for instance in his 2014 book on Europe, we need "more Europe", but in the sense of "less is more". According to the Former German Chancellor, Europe needs a respite. It should take one step backwards and then slowly two steps forward, at a pace that is feasible for the member states. This means: currently Kohl doesn't see a need for haste regarding integration, but a need for necessary corrections back to a community of legality and stability.

Moreover, instead of further centralization and mistaking European unity with uniformity, Kohl repeats his plea for more respect for national and regional autonomy and identities as well as for the histories and the sensitivities of the individual member states.

For Kohl, taking "unity in diversity" seriously involves not only tolerating the plurality in Europe, but also once again recognizing and appreciating it as a valuable asset.

Read the original article on Bild. Copyright 2019.
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